Looking But Not Seeing.
Appreciably, blindness is a dominant theme woven through the garment of the “Cathedral” story by Raymond Carver. One is taken aback by the utter rawness and cold attitude exhibited by the narrator about the blind man. The narrator loudly wonders on who could dare attend a little wedding between Robert, the blind man and his sweetheart Beulah and further states that he does not have any blind person as a friend. As the story develops, one thing becomes certain that the narrator was blinded and needed to be guided in drawing of the cathedral by Robert, the blind man.
Symbolism
The author of the story of the Cathedral employs symbolism to bring out the theme of blindness. In the story, the narrator is required to give a …show more content…
First, the greatest irony in the story is that the blind man sees more than the other characters in the story. Secondly, the narrator disdains blindness while he ironically had serious limitations that hindered his vision. Lastly, the narrator feels sorry for Beulah because she apparently lacked appreciation from the blind man. Ironically, the narrator had eyes but terribly failed to appreciate his wife save for the rather sexual appreciation when he saw the thigh of his …show more content…
Interestingly, the fact that he could not see made him a very keen person in hearing and surprisingly this made him “see” better than the narrator who had eyes. A decade of sending and receiving audiotapes from the narrator’s wife attests to this. Robert provided a leaning shoulder for the narrator’s wife when she was in distress concerning her marriage, the attempted suicide, and her divorce. In addition the blind man was a radio operator who had made great friends with other operators in various countries and talks nostalgically about the number of friends he will meet there were he to make a visit to those countries. Towards the end of the story, Robert makes a connection with the normally detached
Appreciably, blindness is a dominant theme woven through the garment of the “Cathedral” story by Raymond Carver. One is taken aback by the utter rawness and cold attitude exhibited by the narrator about the blind man. The narrator loudly wonders on who could dare attend a little wedding between Robert, the blind man and his sweetheart Beulah and further states that he does not have any blind person as a friend. As the story develops, one thing becomes certain that the narrator was blinded and needed to be guided in drawing of the cathedral by Robert, the blind man.
Symbolism
The author of the story of the Cathedral employs symbolism to bring out the theme of blindness. In the story, the narrator is required to give a …show more content…
First, the greatest irony in the story is that the blind man sees more than the other characters in the story. Secondly, the narrator disdains blindness while he ironically had serious limitations that hindered his vision. Lastly, the narrator feels sorry for Beulah because she apparently lacked appreciation from the blind man. Ironically, the narrator had eyes but terribly failed to appreciate his wife save for the rather sexual appreciation when he saw the thigh of his …show more content…
Interestingly, the fact that he could not see made him a very keen person in hearing and surprisingly this made him “see” better than the narrator who had eyes. A decade of sending and receiving audiotapes from the narrator’s wife attests to this. Robert provided a leaning shoulder for the narrator’s wife when she was in distress concerning her marriage, the attempted suicide, and her divorce. In addition the blind man was a radio operator who had made great friends with other operators in various countries and talks nostalgically about the number of friends he will meet there were he to make a visit to those countries. Towards the end of the story, Robert makes a connection with the normally detached